Heart Lines
by Voldy Is My Homie
Summary: She was tracing the heart lines on his hands when she told him.


They were transfers together: him from Erudite, her from Candor. He spoke facts; she spoke truths. He couldn't stand her, mostly because the first thing she told him was that he had a weird nose.

He couldn't stand her laughs, or the fact that she was almost as good as him and Tobias in everything. He couldn't stand how she told the truth all the time, or how she would sweep her hair back into a high ponytail when she was thinking.

But he mostly couldn't stand the way she would smile at everyone but him.

* * *

He was in the tattoo parlor with Tobias when it happened. He wanted a tattoo, but didn't want to go alone so he picked the person who was closest to a friend and drug him up there with him. Tobias was talking with an older girl in the front, leaving him to walk to the back alone.

When he walked past the curtain a laugh he'd grown to despise filled his ears and he almost left right there, but damn it he was here to get a tattoo that's what he was going to do.

She had a shirt off and was covering herself up with her hands. A vast expanse of black covered her back, forming a tree whose limbs twisted up to reach her shoulders. The man doing the tattoo said something under his breath, causing her to laugh harder than she already was. She doubled over, having a hard time keeping herself decent.

He was caught between one step and the other staring at her; at her smile. She never laughed like that with the rest of the other initiates or anyone else for that matter. Something in him rose up at the sight of the tattoo artist with his hand on her bare back. Never before had he ever felt like hitting someone like he did in that moment.

He realized he had been staring for too long when she turned around and looked at him. He froze, his blood running cold. He didn't want to seem like he was being creepy or anything. But she doesn't accuse him of staring or look away real fast. Her grin widened at the sight of him and she winked. The anger in his chest resided and he forgot why he was even there. With a swift move he turned on his heels and stomped out of the parlor, leaving Tobias behind.

* * *

The results were just posted. She was fourth, he was second. She came up to congratulate him, her brown hair flowing around her, her greens eyes sparkling. She reached for his hand and he almost recoiled when their skin touched, but only almost. She lifted his hand and shook it in her usual over enthusiastic way.

"We made it Eric! We're finished. We're-"

But she never got to finish because he jerked her forward, their chest slamming into each other. Before she could protest he bent his head towards her, metally cursing the fact that she was so small, and shoved his lips roughly onto hers.

She froze, and so did he. He started to panic after she didn't respond for what seemed like forever, her hand stiff in his.

He started to pull away, but he never got the chance. She pulled her hand out of his, grabbed his face, and kissed him just as roughly as he kissed her.

* * *

He could never get over how she looked when she slept. She always slept in a pair of short and a tight cut off shirt, on her stomach, her hair pulled up away from her neck.

One time he was staring at her, feeling a mixture of pride and fear at the fact that she was asleep in his bed and not in someone else's when he reached over and pulled the tie out of her hair, causing it to cascade down around her. He hadn't meant to wake up her up, but he did and she stirred, looking around with her eyes half lidded.

"Eric."

It was the sound of her name that forced him into action. He slid onto the bed, his hands roaming her stomach. She sighed, grabbing the hem of his shirt.

"I wanted to sleep."

"I don't care."

* * *

The first time he looked close at her tattoo he was shocked. The tree wasn't made up of lines, but of words, each one running together, twisting over each other until they resembled bark. He spent a whole day memorizing the words.

* * *

She had a big announcement for him and he knew it. She could never keep secrets very well; she always would tap her fingers constantly or avoid someone so she wouldn't let something accidentally slip. With him she did both. He found her sitting on his bed, staring at her nails. She jumped at the sound of the door closing behind him, and then she smiled a small sheepish smile as she laid down on his bed, moving over for enough room for him.

After he kicked his shoes off and took his place beside her she reached out and took his hand.

"What's a good name for a baby boy?" She asked, staring at the heart lines on his hand.

"What are you talking about?" He was so confused. She didn't even like kids, why would she ask him that.

"Or girl names. That could happen to."

And then it clicked.

"We're having a baby."

"Yep."

They sat there quiet for a long time before he put his hand on her stomach.

"Wow."

* * *

They hadn't even had the time to tell anyone about the baby when she was fished from the cavern. He remembers falling to his knees, his head in his hands, repeating one name over and over again.

"Damian. Damian. Damian."


End file.
